Often times it is desirable to supplement an existing chain link fence with additional fence strand members, such as electric wire or tape, barbed wire, etc. When the fence strand members are electrified, insulators must be used to support the electrified fence strand members on the chain link fence in order to insulate the fence from the electrified fence strand members.
A known support arrangement for supporting an electric wire 10 on a chain link fence 12 is illustrated in FIG. 1. In this conventional arrangement, a plastic insulator 14 includes a hole therein through which the wire 10 extends, with a spring steel clip 16 connected to the insulator and adapted to be attached to the mesh of the chain link fence 12. A plurality of these insulator and clip arrangements are connected to the fence to support the wire along its length, with the wire 10 being disposed generally parallel to the ground. The insulator and clip are made from different materials, so they must be manufactured individually and then secured together using a suitable fastening arrangement. This not only increases the assembly time of the support structure, which ultimately increases the cost of the support, but also can lead to loss of support of the wire if the connection between the insulator and the clip fails.
Therefore a need exists for an improved insulator that is able to support an electric fence strand member on a chain link fence, and that is simple to manufacture and has a long working life.